The Project
by demijayy
Summary: Ludwig, an experienced scientist, operates on a robot in hopes of bringing back his dead lover Feliciano. Depressing AU.


"You were everything I wasn't," he whispers into the empty air. Empty of every sound but his shallow breathing pattern, and the clinking of metal. "Or you will be, you will once again be everything I'm not," he corrects himself.

There is no response from the scrap pile of copper and silver. There are still some last minute touches that need to be made in order to bring life to his beautiful masterpiece.

This is it. _The last step_, he thinks to himself. Blonde hair lazily hangs in front of his ice blue stare of concentration.

He reaches into the freezing depths of the ice box that sits at his feet, and lifts the most important piece of his experiment. Although, he does not wish to call this an experiment. When doing experiments, there is room for error, with this project, there is absolutely no space for such a thing.

He opens the chilling metal cavity of "The Project's" chest. He then carefully, ever so carefully, places the blood red organ inside. He touches the human heart, almost wishing to absorb all of the love it once experienced. But this is of course impossible, so he closes the cavity. He tilts his head to the left slightly and takes a step back.

"Just flip the switch Ludwig. You have to do this. For yourself, for Fel-" Ludwig cuts his own peptalk off mid-sentence, unable to even mutter his name out loud with out throwing himself into a dark depression.

He hesitantly reaches out a single finger toward the silver rod, and turns it upward. It seems to take every single bit of strength in his body to do so.

At first there is nothing. No motion from the project, and nothing but failure fills Ludwig's entire being. He holds his shameful head in his hands and feels the stinging sensation of tears trying to escape. But suddenly- "HELLO."

Ludwig's head shoots up from his hands, and looks up at a metal man who's head is tilted to the side in confusion. If it's possible for a robot to look confused.

"Why are you crying Ludwig?" The Project asks and reaches out a hand to pat the shocked man's shoulder.

"W- You remember- Feliciano... is that you?" Ludwig asks with disbelief, and just slightly shies away from The Project's touch.

"Yes... no," the boy looks confused yet again, but for a new reason.

"But you know my name?" Ludwig asks cautiously once again, and stands up.

"Yes... Ludwig," the project says almost immediately. "I... where am I Ludwig?"

"You're..." Ludwig doesn't expect this. He doesn't expect this in the slightest. And he sure as hell doesn't know what sort of explanation he should give The Project. "You're a... project. My project. I... made you," he whispers, awaiting the metal man's reaction to this information.

"Why?" he asks immediately.

"Because... I miss someone... dearly," he chokes out and clutches his own heart for an aching couple of seconds until the robot interrupts his grieving.

"Who do you miss?" he asks.

"My... it's complicated," his voice strains.

"Nothing is complicated," The Project replies.

He chuckles with a bittersweet taste lingering on his tongue. "That sounds like something he used to say."

"The someone you miss?" The Project asks so bluntly. So incredibly blunt it's almost as if he has no decency to mind his own business. Ludwig knows this shouldn't be a surprise to him however. _What would possess me to think The Project would beat around the bush? I used Feli's heart. He was the most blunt man I had ever met_, Ludwig thinks to himself.

"Yes, that someone," he answers.

"Where did he go?" he asked.

"He's gone... forever. And now a part of him is inside you now. My favorite part of him is inside your chest... beating once again..." he trails off with a small smile written into his expression. "That's all I'm going to tell you for now, Project."

"Is that my name? Project?" he asks.

"Yes," Ludwig sighs.

"May I choose a different name for myself?" Project inquirers politely, and it throws Ludwig off guard for a moment.

"I suppose so... what name?"

"I'm not sure... but if the someone you miss is very important to you, and his heart is in my chest, I don't think that Project is a good name. It's not personal," he said simply.

"Possibly," Ludwig finds himself smirking. "But maybe I don't want anything to get personal. My wounds are still healing from losing my someone," he says truthfully.

"Did you build me to replace that someone?" Project interjects.

"No," Ludwig answers immediately. "Such a task would be impossible Project," he says sorrowfully. "Impossible even for a scientist like me."

"I see," Project replies, although it seems that he doesn't understand in the slightest.

"Project," Ludwig starts. He's not quite sure what it is that he wants to say. He pictured this moment much different than how is seems to be going. So he decides to ask the metal man a question. "How did you know my name?"

"I can see and understand specific bits and pieces of your someone's memories," he replies. "They are all to do with matters of the heart. 'Ludwig' is the only name that screams the loudest in your someone's heart."

Ludwig's entire body feels as if it will collapse in on itself. He clings to the cold metal that stands there in an unreal calm silence. Ludwig feels himself shake with anguish so hot, that it seems the only thing cold enough to cool it is the icy silver plated body of Project.

"No... your name will not be Project," he whispers suddenly into his bronze shoulder plate.

"Then what will-"

Ludwig opened the dark cavity that held Feliciano's heart, and tore it out of it's holding cell. Project was instantly shut down and fell to the ground where metal plates, nuts and bolts scattered across the cement.

"There will be no Project. This was a mistake. A mistake that only a fool like me would make," he whispers to himself. "He's gone Ludwig, you need to accept that. Feliciano is gone forever, and no scientific experiment or project can bring him back!" he shouts at himself and kicks the pile of scrap that was once Project.

The rain pats gently on the glass window, and for a moment Ludwig is brought back to reality as he stares out the window at the blurry colors that replace the usual scenery.

This is what he has to deal with. For the rest of his life he will be destined to have the soft company of rainfall, and no one more.


End file.
